US5188546A - Continuous carrier web member and method of fabricating sheet metal components for electrical connectors - Google Patents

Continuous carrier web member and method of fabricating sheet metal components for electrical connectors Download PDF

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Publication number
US5188546A
US5188546A US07/841,927 US84192792A US5188546A US 5188546 A US5188546 A US 5188546A US 84192792 A US84192792 A US 84192792A US 5188546 A US5188546 A US 5188546A
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United States
Prior art keywords
sheet metal
metal material
components
shield
adjacent
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US07/841,927
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English (en)
Inventor
Kenneth D. Ballard
Ronald E. Bottino
Mark K. Labbe
John E. Lopata
Tom Malinski
Wilhelm Meier
Lou Morelli
Michael G. Pacyga
Mitch Primorac
Bernardus Roodnat
Shawn Simpson
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Molex LLC
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Molex LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Molex LLC filed Critical Molex LLC
Assigned to MOLEX INCORPORATED reassignment MOLEX INCORPORATED ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: BOTTINO, RONALD E., LABBE, MARK K., MALINSKI, TOM, MEIER, WILHELM, MORELLI, LOU, SIMPSON, SHAWN, PRIMORAC, MITCH, BALLARD, KENNETH D., LOPATA, JOHN E., PACYGA, MICHAEL, ROODNAT, BERNARDUS
Priority to US07/841,927 priority Critical patent/US5188546A/en
Priority to US07/897,195 priority patent/US5242570A/en
Priority to MYPI93000014A priority patent/MY108775A/en
Priority to KR1019930000530A priority patent/KR960016877B1/ko
Priority to TW082100379A priority patent/TW277173B/zh
Priority to JP5043261A priority patent/JPH0754732B2/ja
Priority to DE69312345T priority patent/DE69312345T2/de
Priority to EP93102498A priority patent/EP0557881B1/en
Publication of US5188546A publication Critical patent/US5188546A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
    • H01R43/16—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/70—Coupling devices
    • H01R12/71—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures
    • H01R12/712—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures co-operating with the surface of the printed circuit or with a coupling device exclusively provided on the surface of the printed circuit
    • H01R12/716—Coupling device provided on the PCB
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/648—Protective earth or shield arrangements on coupling devices, e.g. anti-static shielding  
    • H01R13/658—High frequency shielding arrangements, e.g. against EMI [Electro-Magnetic Interference] or EMP [Electro-Magnetic Pulse]
    • H01R13/6581—Shield structure
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
    • Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
    • Y10T29/49117—Conductor or circuit manufacturing
    • Y10T29/49204—Contact or terminal manufacturing
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
    • Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
    • Y10T29/49117—Conductor or circuit manufacturing
    • Y10T29/49204—Contact or terminal manufacturing
    • Y10T29/49208—Contact or terminal manufacturing by assembling plural parts
    • Y10T29/49218—Contact or terminal manufacturing by assembling plural parts with deforming
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
    • Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
    • Y10T29/49117—Conductor or circuit manufacturing
    • Y10T29/49204—Contact or terminal manufacturing
    • Y10T29/49208—Contact or terminal manufacturing by assembling plural parts
    • Y10T29/49222—Contact or terminal manufacturing by assembling plural parts forming array of contacts or terminals
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
    • Y10T29/49789—Obtaining plural product pieces from unitary workpiece
    • Y10T29/49792—Dividing through modified portion

Definitions

  • This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to the carrier strip joining stamped and formed sheet metal material components for electrical connectors and a method of making same.
  • Various components of electrical connectors are fabricated of sheet metal material, as in a continuous stamping and forming operation. Terminals or contacts and EMI/RFI shields are examples.
  • the components are carried through the stamping and forming stations by integral carrier means of the sheet metal material, such as a pair of generally spaced carrier strips, with the components being stamped and formed between the strips.
  • the carrier strips or webs are often provided with spaced apertures whereby the webs not only carry the components through the various stamping and forming operations but the webs are used for indexing purposes in the various operational machines.
  • the components can be removed from the carrier strips and plated (e.g., barrel plated) or they can remain attached or integral with the carrier webs and the composite strips are wound onto reels for subsequent processing, such as plating operations, or for subsequent assembly of the components into electrical connector assemblies.
  • the components can be partially formed, plated and then formed to their desired final configuration.
  • a shield for a conventional input/output (I/O) electrical connector may include a base plate with various portions projecting therefrom. Grounding legs and tabs may be integrally formed and project from the base plate for insertion into grounding holes in a printed circuit board. Locking tabs may project from the base plate for locking the plate to a housing or other component of the electrical connector. The shroud of the shield also projects from the base plate. These portions may and typically do project in different directions.
  • Each of these projections is susceptible to being damaged, bent or tangled as the separated or individual components are plated in a barrel plating operation. They also are prone to being damaged during winding of the shields (extending between parallel carrier webs) onto reels, during subsequent fabricating processes such as plating when the composite strip is unwound from the reel and again wound back on the reel, and during subsequent assembly operations prior to or during assembly of the shield on the connector housing.
  • Methods of protecting the projecting portions of the shield are therefore a significant issue because minimizing damaged parts reduces scrapped parts.
  • the plating may crack during subsequent forming operations. This is especially important for the manufacture of shields for connectors because the shield connects the electrical connector to a ground circuit. Because the plating such as nickel applied to a steel shield is a better conductor than the steel shield itself, cracks in the plating interrupt the ground path which decreases the shielding effectiveness of the shield and thus its EMI/RFI performance. Another problem is possible corrosion of the base metal of the shield due to exposure caused by cracks in the plating.
  • a further problem in stamping and forming such components involves the undue longitudinal spacing between the components, lengthwise relative to the carrier webs. That is, taking the I/O shield again as an example, considerable sheet metal material is required to produce the shield into its ultimate configuration. Once formed, relatively large spacings or gaps result between the centers of adjacent shields lengthwise relative to the carrier webs. This results in the wound composite reels being of undue size or diameter or permits a relatively few number of parts per reel.
  • U-shaped corrugations can be formed in the portion of the carrier webs between adjacent metal components in order to reduce the spacing between such metal components and thus permit a greater number of components on a reel of a given diameter.
  • Such corrugations are typically formed in a multi-station forming operation which results in additional complexity for the forming die.
  • the forming operation utilized to create the U-shape involves a manufacturing trade-off in that the fewer stations utilized to form the U-shape, the greater the likelihood that the metal will stretch and become thinner during the forming process.
  • such stretching is likely to not be uniform which would result in inconsistent spacing between components from production run to production run due to slight changes in the material thickness and mechanical properties. This makes subsequent automated handling and assembly more difficult.
  • U-shape Another problem with the U-shape is that during a process such as plating, the shells and their connecting carrier webs or strips are unreeled and run through a plating bath and then re-reeled.
  • the distance between the supply reel and the take-up reel is typically between 40 and 120 feet. Due to the weight of the shells and the carrier webs, the flexibility of the metal carrier strip and the unsupported length between the reels, the U-shaped portions utilized to reduce the spacing between the shells will deform or stretch so that the two legs of the U-shaped member are no longer generally parallel. This will increase the spacing between adjacent shells and thus reduce the effectiveness of the space reduction. In addition, because the U-shaped portions will not stretch uniformly, the spacing between adjacent shells will be somewhat inconsistent which makes subsequent automated handling of the shells and assembly of the connector more difficult.
  • This invention is directed to solving the above problems and satisfying the stated needs.
  • An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved continuous carrier web between components for an electrical connector stamped and formed from sheet metal material, the components being carried through the stamping and forming process by the continuous web of the sheet metal material.
  • a method of manufacturing such carrier web is also disclosed.
  • a portion of the carrier web connecting the components is formed, either during or after the stamping and forming of the component, into a three-dimensional configuration to reduce the spacing on the carrier web between adjacent components.
  • This three-dimensional configuration may be dimensioned to protect projecting portions of the component during subsequent manufacturing operations on the component.
  • a latching structure may be formed to retain the components at a predetermined spacing.
  • the illustrated stamped and formed component is a shield for a shielded electrical connector.
  • the shield has at least one ground tab projecting from one side of the original plane of the sheet metal material and a mating portion projecting from the other side of the original plane of the sheet metal material.
  • the axis of the open-ended mating portion of the shield can extend in the direction of movement of the web to effect uniform plating through the mating portion, and the grounding tabs may project transverse to the axis of the mating portion for subsequent selective plating, with less of a risk of damaging these projecting portions of the shield, due to the web being configured to protect the projecting portions.
  • the length of the web is effectively shortened, reducing the spacing between the stamped and formed components, and resulting in more components on the reel onto which the composite web and stamped and formed components are wound.
  • the invention contemplates a unique web, and a composite wound reel of stamped and formed electrical components, for use in fabricating stamped and formed components for electrical connectors and the like.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an I/O electrical connector having a stamped and formed shield which may be fabricated utilizing the carrier strip and according to the method of the invention;
  • FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of various components of the connector of FIG. 1 to illustrate the three-dimensional configuration of the stamped and formed shield;
  • FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical illustration of some of the steps involved in fabricating and processing a shield as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a fragmented plan view of the shield during an intermediate stamping and forming operation and extending between a pair of parallel carrier webs;
  • FIG. 5 is a fragmented plan view of a pair of shields and the carrier webs in their final stamped and formed configuration
  • FIG. 6 is a fragmented side elevational view looking toward the right-hand side of FIG. 5.
  • FIG. 7 is a fragmented side elevational view similar to that of FIG. 6, but of an alternative embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 8 is a fragmented top plan view looking down onto FIG. 7;
  • FIG. 9 is a fragmented section taken generally along line 9--9 of FIG. 8;
  • FIG. 10 is a fragmented plan view of a blank from which the embodiment of FIGS. 7-9 is fabricated;
  • FIG. 11 is a somewhat diagrammatical illustration of a portion of the tooling utilized in fabricating the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-10;
  • FIG. 12 is a diagrammatical illustration of some of the steps involved in fabricating the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-10.
  • an electrical connector which is adapted to be mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown) is generally designated 20.
  • the electrical connector includes a dielectric housing, generally designated 22, a front conductive shield, generally designated 24, and a tail aligner, generally designated 26.
  • Connector housing 22 has a front mating portion 28 projecting outwardly from a front face 30.
  • a plurality of right-angle terminals, generally designated 32, are disposed in the housing. The terminals have female mating end portions 34 disposed in front mating portion 28 and tail portions 36 projecting from a bottom face 38 (FIG. 2) of the connector housing.
  • the tail portions of the terminals are adapted to be inserted into holes in the printed circuit board on which the electrical connector is to be mounted, such that bottom face 38 of the connector housing will be positioned adjacent the printed circuit board, with front mating face 30 disposed at generally a right-angle with respect to the plane of the printed circuit board.
  • Shield 24 is configured to be positioned about mating portion 28 of housing 22 and over front face 30 of the housing when the shield is affixed to the housing.
  • tail aligner 26 is adapted to be mounted along bottom face 38 of the connector housing. When the tail aligner is so mounted, tail portions 36 of terminals 32 extend through an array of holes 40 (FIG. 2) in the tail aligner so that the tail portions are supported by the tail aligner until inserted into and soldered in holes in the printed circuit board.
  • the tail aligner also includes mounting tabs 42 and 44 that extend from a bottom surface 46 of the tail aligner. The mounting tabs are adapted to fit into holes in the printed circuit board in order to maintain the electrical connector positioned on the printed circuit board until tail portions 36 of the terminals and ground lugs 60 are soldered to the printed circuit board.
  • Shield 24 is stamped and formed from conductive sheet metal material such as an aluminum killed steel and includes a base sheet or plate 48 from which projects a shield mating portion or shroud 50 which is open-ended in the direction of axis 52.
  • the mating portion has a trapezoidal or D-shape corresponding to the shape of mating portion 28 of connector housing 22. Consequently, the shield may be slid into position onto the housing such that the shield mating portion 50 is disposed about mating portion 28.
  • the shield also includes barbed locking tabs 54 for insertion into corresponding apertures 56 in housing 22 to lock the shield to the housing.
  • the shield further includes a pair of grounding straps 58 projecting generally parallel to axis 52 of mating portion 50, but from the opposite side of plate 48 from the mating portion, and the grounding straps include ground tabs 60 projecting from the grounding straps generally perpendicular to axis 52. As seen in FIG. 1, ground tabs 60 project through apertures 62 in tail aligner 26 whereby the ground tabs can be inserted into holes in the printed circuit board and soldered to ground circuits on the board. Lastly, holes 64 are tapped into flange 48 of the shield for alignment with holes 66 in housing 22 for receiving appropriate fastening means of a complementary mating connector (not shown).
  • electrical connector 20 in FIGS. 1 and 2 has been given in order to show the configuration of a stamped and formed sheet metal component, namely shield 24, which might be used in an electrical connector.
  • shield 24 which might be used in an electrical connector.
  • axis 52 of mating or shroud portion 50 of the shield as a frame of reference, it can be seen that the mating portion is open-ended in the direction of the axis, but flange 48 of the shield extends transverse to the axis.
  • Grounding straps 58 extend generally parallel to the axis, but ground tabs 60 project perpendicular to the axis. The ground tabs are prone to becoming bent or damaged during various fabricating processes of the stamped and formed shield.
  • axis 52 defines the direction of movement of carrier webs in the stamping and forming operation of the shield as well as during various plating operations on the shield.
  • a strip-like sheet of conductive metal material 70 is fed from a supply roll 72 thereof into a stamping station or die 74.
  • the stamping die is used to form shroud 50 of the shield, as seen to the left of the depiction, in a drawing operation.
  • Take-up reel 76 is then utilized as a supply roll to feed metal strip 70a, with drawn mating portions 50, to a shell tapping and forming station 78 whereat the shield is tapped, stamped and formed into its ultimate configuration, as indicated at 24 to the left of the depiction, and wound onto another take-up reel 88.
  • the tapping, stamping and forming station 78 may include a series of operations such as comparing FIGS. 4-6. Specifically, it can be seen in FIG. 4 that shield 24 extends between a pair of parallel carrier webs 80 having conventional indexing holes 82 spaced therealong, with the shield preliminarily stamped and joined to the carrier webs by attaching portions 84. Referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that axis 52 of mating portion 50 extends perpendicularly to carrier webs 80, and that locking tabs 54 and ground tabs 60 still are in the plane of flange 48 (i.e. the tabs have yet to be bent or formed).
  • grounding straps 58 are the portions of the shield which are attached to carrier webs 80 by web portions 84.
  • the shields are then formed seriatim into their final configurations as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
  • grounding straps 58 still are attached to carrier webs 80 by web portions 84.
  • Flange 48 of the shield is bent perpendicularly to the grounding straps, as indicated by bend lines 86 in FIG. 4. This orients axis 52 of mating portions 50 in the direction of arrow "A" corresponding to arrows "A” in FIG. 3.
  • Locking tabs 54 have been bent or formed perpendicular to plate 48, and ground tabs 60 have been bent or formed perpendicular to grounding straps 58.
  • the composite of stamped and formed shields 24 and carrier strips 80 then are wound onto another take-up reel 88.
  • Reel 88 then is taken to a plating station 82 whereat the shields, still joined to carrier webs 80, can be plated and/or ground tabs 60 may be selectively plated with a highly conductive non-corrosive material such as a combination of tin and lead.
  • axis 52 of shroud portion 50 of the shield shown at the left of the depiction is generally parallel to the direction of movement, as indicated by arrow "B", of the shields through plating station 82. This effects a relatively uniform plating of the shroud as the shield passes through the plating solution.
  • ground tabs 60 project perpendicular to the direction of movement at the plating station whereby the ground tabs can be selectively plated.
  • the composite of stamped, formed and plated shields 24 and carrier webs 80 are fed onto still another take-up reel 84.
  • Reel 84 then is transported to and fed into an assembly machine 86 whereat the shields are severed from the carrier webs and assembled into or onto an electrical connector housing.
  • the composite reel is considered a finished product in itself. Such reels can be sold to customers for in situ assembly into electrical connectors.
  • reels of stamped and formed shields may be stored before taken to the plating station.
  • the "plated” reels also may be stored before final assembly into electrical connectors. All of these reels take up a considerable amount of inventory space and it would be desirable to reduce the size of the reels.
  • by reducing the spacing between adjacent shields more shields can be stored on a reel which likewise reduce space.
  • carrier webs 80 are formed into three-dimensional configurations so that the various projecting portions of the shields, such as ground tabs 60, are protected during the numerous fabricating and assembly operations on the shield.
  • the length of the webs effectively is shortened which, in turn, reduces the spacing between the final stamped and formed shields, thereby resulting, in a greater number of shields on the take-up reel for use in processing operations as described in relation to FIG. 3. This provides a significant advantage especially during a plating operation.
  • the completely formed shields on their carrier strips can only be fed through the various plating baths at a predetermined maximum speed measured in feet per minute.
  • a greater number of shells can be plated per hour without increasing the speed of the carrier strips, thus reducing plating costs.
  • each carrier web 80 is formed with U-shaped projecting portions 90 which alternate along the carrier webs so as to project from one side and then the other side of the original plane of the sheet metal material as indicated at 92.
  • the only portions of shields 24 which remain in the original plane of the sheet metal material i.e. at 70 in FIG. 3 are grounding straps 58.
  • Mating portions 50 of the shields project from one side of the original plane of the sheet metal material and ground tabs 60 project from the other side of the original plane.
  • U-shaped portions 90 of the carrier webs can be selected as depending upon the configuration of the component which is being stamped and formed, such as the stamped and formed shields.
  • the stamped and formed shields can be selected as depending upon the configuration of the component which is being stamped and formed, such as the stamped and formed shields.
  • other stamped or formed configurations of the carrier webs are contemplated, other than forming the U-shaped projections, in order to protect the various portions of the shields or other components and to shorten the distance between the components.
  • a plurality of shields are stamped and formed in a continuous manufacturing process by using carrier webs 96, with the shields joined to the carrier webs by web portions 98, similar to the continuous manufacturing process described above in relation to FIGS. 3-6.
  • conventional indexing holes 100 are space along carrier web 96 as shown in FIG. 8.
  • metal components could be joined by one or more carrier webs as is known in the art.
  • each carrier web 96 is formed with protecting portions, generally designated 102, which project from only one side of the carrier web and which protect ground tabs 60 of shields 24'.
  • the protecting portions extend away from the carrier web at least a distance equal to the length of the ground tabs 60.
  • protecting portions 102 are formed in an arc-shape from the original plane of the sheet metal material.
  • the arc-shaped protecting portions 102 define a wave configuration having a closed end 104.
  • Such wave configuration includes an inner arcuate leg and an outer arcuate leg with a bight therebetween.
  • Each of the arcuate legs are arcuate throughout at least a substantial portion of the length thereof.
  • the arc-shaped projections protect ground tabs 60, but the length of the composite carrier web and formed shields is reduced, as described above.
  • FIGS. 11 and 12 in conjunction with FIGS. 7-10, a method of forming arc-shaped protecting portions 102 is illustrated somewhat diagrammatically.
  • carrier web 96 is shown as in the original plane of the sheet metal material.
  • a rotatable mandrel carrier, generally designated 106 is positioned at opposite sides of the sheet metal material.
  • a cam 107 within the tooling is operatively associated with each mandrel carrier 106 to selectively permit movement of the mandrel carrier towards and into engagement with web 96.
  • Pneumatic cylinder 111 is provided to rotate the mandrel carrier about axis 107 in the direction of arrow "X".
  • the mandrel carrier has a cylindrical first mandrel 108 which rotates concentrically about second mandrel 110.
  • the second mandrel acts as an anvil about which rotating first mandrel 108 of the mandrel carrier 106 moves.
  • mandrels 108 and 110 are actually slightly tapered or frusto-conical to permit them to move towards and easily engage web 96. Other means for moving the various components could be utilized.
  • FIG. 12B shows that first mandrel 108 has moved into and through carrier web 96 to begin forming an arc-shaped configuration about second mandrel 110, again in the direction of arrow "X".
  • This depiction also shows a clamping member 112 which applies a pressure in the direction of arrow "Y" against carrier web 96, whereby the web is confined in a nip 114 between the clamping member and second mandrel 110.
  • FIG. 12C shows the first mandrel 108 of mandrel carrier 106 having moved approximately 180° from its position in FIG. 12A, to form protecting portion 102 into its closed-ended wave configuration as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9.
  • FIG. 12D shows mandrel carrier 106 having been rotated back to its original position as shown in FIG. 12A, retracting first mandrel 108 out of the now formed arc-shaped protecting portion 102.
  • Clamping member 112 and confining members 116 and 118 also have been retracted to allow carrier web 96 to be fed through the die apparatus.
  • the cam 109 used to move mandrel carrier 106 into contact with web 96 is then retracted which moves the mandrel back to its original position out of engagement with web 96.
  • the wave-shape projections 102 and process of FIGS. 7-12 have a number of advantages over the U-shaped projections 90 in FIGS. 4-6 with respect to the manufacture thereof.
  • the U-shaped projections require many forming operations in order to fully form the U-shape.
  • the die in which the U-shape is formed must include additional "stations" for forming the U-shape gradually in order to avoid stretching the metal.
  • the wave-shape is formed at one "station” and therefore not as many stations are required and the die can be less complex.
  • the wave-shape does not stretch the metal, the centerline spacing between adjacent components can be precisely maintained.
  • FIGS. 7-10 Another feature of the invention is shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-10 and includes a latch member for holding the stamped and formed carrier web in its formed configuration as shown in FIGS. 7-9.
  • FIG. 10 shows a fragmented portion of a blank from which carrier web 96, shield 24', ground tab 60, latch arm 120 and latch keeper 125 are stamped to illustrate the location of the latch arm and the latch keeper of an adjacent shield when initially stamped from the sheet metal material. It can be seen that the latch arm 120 and hook portion 122 will latch with the latch keeper 124 associated with the adjacent shield. Comparing FIGS. 7 and 10 shows that the spacing between adjacent shells is reduced almost in half from the initial stamped spacing of FIG. 10 to the final stamped and formed spacing of FIG. 7.
  • a latch arm 120 is stamped out of the original sheet metal material and is formed with a latch hook 122 on the distal end thereof by bending latch arm 120 along line 121 (FIG. 10).
  • a latch keeper 124 is formed from the carrier web to project inwardly in the path of hook portion 122 of latch arm 120.
  • Latch arm 120 (along with hook 122) and latch keeper 124 are sized and configured whereby hook portion 122 will snap over the latch keeper at a point when rotating forming portion 108 reaches its completed forming position in FIG. 12C.
  • the "forward" surface 126 of hook portion 122 is shaped rounded so that the latch arm and hook portion will ride over latch keeper 124 as the wave-shaped portion 102 is formed and snap into latching engagement when the wave configured protecting portion is fully formed.
  • latch arm 120 and latch keeper 124 An alternative to utilizing the latch arm 120 and latch keeper 124 is to overlap the sheet metal material and joining such overlapped material by deformation, staking, welding or other known manners of joining sheet metal material. A further alternative would be to use the latch arm 120 and latch keeper 124 as described above together with such an additional joining step. This would provide even greater resistance to stretching of the carrier strip.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Shielding Devices Or Components To Electric Or Magnetic Fields (AREA)
  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Electrical Connectors (AREA)
US07/841,927 1992-02-25 1992-02-25 Continuous carrier web member and method of fabricating sheet metal components for electrical connectors Expired - Fee Related US5188546A (en)

Priority Applications (8)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US07/841,927 US5188546A (en) 1992-02-25 1992-02-25 Continuous carrier web member and method of fabricating sheet metal components for electrical connectors
US07/897,195 US5242570A (en) 1992-02-25 1992-06-11 Method of electroplating a continuous carrier web member and sheet metal components for electrical connectors
MYPI93000014A MY108775A (en) 1992-02-25 1993-01-06 Continuous carrier web member and method of fabricating sheet metal components for electrical connectors
KR1019930000530A KR960016877B1 (ko) 1992-02-25 1993-01-16 연속 캐리어 웨브 부재, 및 전기 커넥터의 판금속 부품 제조 방법
TW082100379A TW277173B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1992-02-25 1993-01-20
JP5043261A JPH0754732B2 (ja) 1992-02-25 1993-02-08 連続キャリアウェブ部材および電気コネクタの金属薄板構成部品の製法
DE69312345T DE69312345T2 (de) 1992-02-25 1993-02-18 Endlos-Trägerband und Verfahren zum Herstellen von Kontaktgliedern aus Blechstanzlingen für elektrische Verbinder
EP93102498A EP0557881B1 (en) 1992-02-25 1993-02-18 Continuous carrier web member and method of fabricating sheet metal components for electrical connectors

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US07/841,927 US5188546A (en) 1992-02-25 1992-02-25 Continuous carrier web member and method of fabricating sheet metal components for electrical connectors

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US07/897,195 Continuation-In-Part US5242570A (en) 1992-02-25 1992-06-11 Method of electroplating a continuous carrier web member and sheet metal components for electrical connectors

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US (1) US5188546A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
EP (1) EP0557881B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPH0754732B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
KR (1) KR960016877B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE69312345T2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
MY (1) MY108775A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
TW (1) TW277173B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5722861A (en) * 1996-02-28 1998-03-03 Molex Incorporated Electrical connector with terminals of varying lengths
US5848920A (en) * 1996-07-16 1998-12-15 Molex Incorporated Fabrication of electrical terminals for edge card connectors
US6488523B1 (en) * 2001-09-28 2002-12-03 Kuang-Chih Lai Conductive member of zero insertion/extraction force integrated circuit socket
US20050241360A1 (en) * 2004-04-30 2005-11-03 Miller Timothy B Apparatus and method for forming shaped articles
US6979239B1 (en) * 2004-06-30 2005-12-27 Northrop Grumman Corporation Plating of brazed RF connectors for T/R modules
US20070026724A1 (en) * 2005-07-26 2007-02-01 Tokihiko Mori Printed circuit wiring board and electronic apparatus
FR2904734A1 (fr) * 2006-08-03 2008-02-08 Nicomatic Sa Sa Procede et installation de fabrication de bandes de contacts de pas differents, et bande obtenue
US20090249609A1 (en) * 2008-04-08 2009-10-08 Delphi Technologies, Inc. Method for manufacturing a series of electric terminals
US20120244751A1 (en) * 2011-03-25 2012-09-27 Delphi Technologies, Inc. Electrical connector shield
US20150236465A1 (en) * 2011-09-16 2015-08-20 Wayne Cowan Automated assembly of electrical connector

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19629643C2 (de) * 1996-07-23 2000-05-04 Kostal Leopold Gmbh & Co Kg Bauteileträger
DE102011050131B3 (de) * 2011-05-05 2012-08-16 Lpkf Laser & Electronics Ag Verfahren zur Herstellung von Metallisierungen auf Kunststoffteilen

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US4377321A (en) * 1980-11-17 1983-03-22 Amp Incorporated Carrier mounted terminals
US5078617A (en) * 1991-01-25 1992-01-07 Molex Incorporated Piercing insulation displacement board terminal

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US2820211A (en) * 1955-04-28 1958-01-14 Kent Mfg Corp Multiple electric terminal and insulating board
JPS6231886U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1985-08-12 1987-02-25
FR2605807B1 (fr) * 1986-10-24 1989-04-28 Souriau & Cie Barrette de contacts electriques, procede de fabrication d'une telle barrette et connecteur electrique en comportant application

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4377321A (en) * 1980-11-17 1983-03-22 Amp Incorporated Carrier mounted terminals
US5078617A (en) * 1991-01-25 1992-01-07 Molex Incorporated Piercing insulation displacement board terminal

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5722861A (en) * 1996-02-28 1998-03-03 Molex Incorporated Electrical connector with terminals of varying lengths
US5848920A (en) * 1996-07-16 1998-12-15 Molex Incorporated Fabrication of electrical terminals for edge card connectors
US6488523B1 (en) * 2001-09-28 2002-12-03 Kuang-Chih Lai Conductive member of zero insertion/extraction force integrated circuit socket
US20050241360A1 (en) * 2004-04-30 2005-11-03 Miller Timothy B Apparatus and method for forming shaped articles
US6979239B1 (en) * 2004-06-30 2005-12-27 Northrop Grumman Corporation Plating of brazed RF connectors for T/R modules
US20060003642A1 (en) * 2004-06-30 2006-01-05 Richard Patrick K Plating of brazed rf connectors for t/r modules
US20070026724A1 (en) * 2005-07-26 2007-02-01 Tokihiko Mori Printed circuit wiring board and electronic apparatus
US7491102B2 (en) * 2005-07-26 2009-02-17 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Printed circuit wiring board and electronic apparatus
FR2904734A1 (fr) * 2006-08-03 2008-02-08 Nicomatic Sa Sa Procede et installation de fabrication de bandes de contacts de pas differents, et bande obtenue
US20090249609A1 (en) * 2008-04-08 2009-10-08 Delphi Technologies, Inc. Method for manufacturing a series of electric terminals
US8104173B2 (en) * 2008-04-08 2012-01-31 Delphi Technologies, Inc. Method for manufacturing a series of electric terminals
US20120244751A1 (en) * 2011-03-25 2012-09-27 Delphi Technologies, Inc. Electrical connector shield
US8477513B2 (en) * 2011-03-25 2013-07-02 Delphi Technologies, Inc. Electrical connector shield
US20150236465A1 (en) * 2011-09-16 2015-08-20 Wayne Cowan Automated assembly of electrical connector
US9577397B2 (en) * 2011-09-16 2017-02-21 Apple Inc. Method of manufacturing a shell assembly for an electrical connector

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR930018786A (ko) 1993-09-22
EP0557881B1 (en) 1997-07-23
DE69312345T2 (de) 1998-03-19
KR960016877B1 (ko) 1996-12-23
JPH0754732B2 (ja) 1995-06-07
MY108775A (en) 1996-11-30
JPH0613153A (ja) 1994-01-21
DE69312345D1 (de) 1997-08-28
TW277173B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1996-06-01
EP0557881A1 (en) 1993-09-01

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